Pikachu Illustrator Card: Exploring the most expensive Pokemon card history

Pokemon is known for having its fair share of rare, valuable merchandise, but nothing comes close to the Pikachu Illustrator card, the most expensive Pokemon card in history. With the rise in art quality following this card's release, many fans may be wondering why this card is as valuable as it is.

Pokemon cards are already one of the most valuable collectibles that fans of the hobby can get their hands on. They are in vogue with online social media and Twitch influencers and feature high-quality artwork of the beloved creatures. But what about the Pikachu Illustrator card makes it the most expensive Pokemon card of all time?

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Everything to know about the Pikachu Illustrator card, the most expensive Pokemon card

Pikachu as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

For those interested in the competitive scene for the Pokemon trading card game, this card sadly holds no value there. This is because the Pikachu Illustrator card has no real effect or use in the games. Rather, it is an award given out to winners of an illustration contest for CoroCoro Comics, a magazine in Japan known for its many popular comic series.

In fact, the writing on the card where its effect would normally go is instead replaced with a nice message congratulating the participants for their entry, naming them an official Pokemon Card Illustrator. For this reason, the card was never mass-produced like every other Pokemon card since it technically is not even a card at all but only an award.

In total, between 39 and 41 of these cards were made and sent to the winners of this illustration contest. This is much fewer than even the notorious original Charizard or Raichu cards, thus making it considerably more valuable. So valuable, in fact, that a copy of the Pikachu Illustrator card sells at over $5 million, making it the most expensive Pokemon card.

Players will be unable to pull the Pikachu Illustrator card from even first-edition booster packs. As such, the hunt for this card may feel unfair to newer collectors, but a little disappointment comes with the hobby. The only way to obtain the card is through auction sites when one goes on sale.

However, since a small quantity of the cards were made, it is very rare to encounter a legitimate copy of this award card anywhere. Since these cards have all been documented as well, more will never reappear unless The Pokemon Company ever decides to hold another contest where they collect community artwork for cards again.

While it is unfortunate that new fans will never get the chance to see the Pikachu Illustrator card in person, the hobby of collecting Pokemon cards can still be fun, especially with the impressive artwork coming out today. Even though it is difficult to obtain, the Pikachu Illustrator card may reappear on auction sites one day for a lucky collector to purchase and add to their collection.